St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-22

independently. "All we ask said Mr.. Fl. E.
Cushman, very Misunderstanding black
man, who is the chairman of the committee,
''all we ask is five or six acres and chance.
Our people would go to Dakota, not expecting
10 get something for nothing, but they be-
lleve that there they would be among their
TRENDS and among class of people who re-
spect the desire for owning land. / tell my
Ioiks we had better be poor for twenty years
II we can just buy even an acre of land
ano nave our house on it and live respectfully
ana independently. The custom among us is
TO farm on shares. The colored man gives
two-thlrds for the land, seeds and horses or
mules Al the end Of the season, after he has
had his supplies furnished by the
WHITE LAND OWNER,
he finds that he has not only used up his
third OF the value of the crops, but good
ueal more. and he thereby mortgages his
LABOR Tor the next year, and goes on repeat
ing the same thing over again, so that every
year ne gets deeper and deeper in debt. Our
people are not paupers, but they are not get
ting ahead. The women raise poultry and
some OF them make pretty fair butter. We
sell these things and garden truck and man
age to keep our heads above water. Some of
our people have money in the bank and we
think that we shall not be obliged to call upon
outsiders for any assistance to transport our
colony to Dakota if we can receive assur-
ances that we will have fair play when we
mechanics. They will want to liz e in cities,
but great many are gardeners and, although
L understand that Dakota is not the best place
IN the world for gardening-that is to say,
that while 1t can raise the best kinds of
vegetables in abundance, q great many
things that we are accustomed to raise
in North Carolina cannot be raised there, such
as celery, lettuce and all those things which
we are now able to raise all the year round
The climate would seem to be forbidding to
colored people. expect that if we should
send any of our people out there they would
encounter great deal of harship from the
climate. Some of our black people say that
it is not much colder in Dakota than it is in
North Carolina, but know that it is of course,
However, colored people, if they are at all
forehauded and thrifty, can
IN FEW YEARS TINE
acclimate themselves anywhere. 1t Is all q
matter of intelligence and courage. l do not
believe that our race absolutely depends upon
hot climate for thrift and progress. At
any rate, we will be very glad If we have any
sort Of encouragement to pick up 200, 500 or
1000 of our best people, who are able to pay
their way to Dakota, and send them there and
settle them in such localities as are repre-
Sented to us as the most inviting in a practi-
cal way. Judge Clifford has discouraged this
He does not believe that colored men can live
in the cold climate of Dakota. That may be
so. We have had some talk about sending
some choppers into the pine woods of Mime
sofa and Wisconsin. l can go down IN North
Carolina and pick out in six weeks time 1000
young, lusty black men who do not know any
thing else but ak. They have chopped all
their lives. They would make excellent labor
in the pine woods Of the Northwest, and I
hope by another season to be able to send
some of our people up there